


Tales of some Punk Rock Wizards

by vortexinthestudio



Category: Tales of Arcadia (Cartoons), Wizards: Tales of Arcadia
Genre: Action, Action/Adventure, F/M, Fluff, Humor, Magic, Post-Canon, Rock and Roll, Romance, mediocre fight sequences, wizards but make them street punks
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-26
Updated: 2021-03-16
Packaged: 2021-03-18 16:42:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 14,061
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28995432
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vortexinthestudio/pseuds/vortexinthestudio
Summary: A birthday gift for an awesome friend of mine (love ya, punk!). A series of Wizards: Tales of Arcadia short stories set after Wizards and before Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans. Includes several OCs! Oneshots are not in chronological order unless labeled in parts.
Relationships: Hisirdoux "Douxie" Casperan/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 7





	1. We Built this Alliance on Rock n' Roll pt. 1

"Are you sure about this, Douxie?"

"Come on Arch, I need a little normalcy in my life. We just finished saving the world from King Arthur and the Arcane Order, moved cities, and I had to find us a new apartment and myself a new job. I think we deserve a little downtime. Besides, it's just a simple open mic night. What could possibly go wrong?"

Conceding, the cat stopped in front of the door, the neon glow of the cafe lights reflecting off his glasses. "Well, after you then."

Music erupted from the dimly lit space the second Douxie pushed the door open, pulsing sound mingling with the rich smell of coffee and the visual energy of college-kid weekend excitement manifested in the form of heads thrown back in laughter and some very embarrassing dancing. Over the cacophony of noise rang clear waves of equally energetic ukulele music, announcing the introductory melody of a song Douxie recognized from the radio.

The small stage at the back of the room was occupied by two girls he guessed to be about college-aged, maybe a year or two younger. The shorter girl (she looked Asian, maybe?) was the one wielding the ukulele, strumming so aggressively and rapidly it was a wonder the strings didn't break. She was a blur as she jumped and spun about the stage with the glee of a breakout rockstar giving their first public performance. It was only when the song reached its first verse did she pause her wild dancing just long enough to sing.

_"We don't believe what's on TV! Because it's what, we want, to see!"_

Douxie slipped through the crowd to get closer to the stage, watching with interest.

_"And what we want, we know we can't believe. We have all learned, to kill, our dreams!"_

She tossed her head, throwing back the long curtain of black-to-teal ombre hair that framed her face. Douxie glimpsed a sweet looking face and round wire-framed glasses that reflected the swirling lights and hid her eyes.

The girl behind her was killing it on the drums, banging her head along to the beat of the song. She was easier to see, with sharper facial features and bold, dark makeup. Streaks of hot pink ran through her long black hair, which was tangled up in a messy bun. Her appearance was as eclectic as her bandmate's dancing.

They looked like punks, and fun ones at that.

_'I like their style,'_ Douxie thought to himself as he watched them play. But it seemed he was the only one truly paying attention. Everyone around him seemed completely wrapped in the music that thrummed through the air so strongly Douxie could almost physically feel it pushing and pulling at him. He closed his eyes, letting the waves of sound move through and around him, pricking his skin like cool electricity. It felt strangely familiar...

Instinctively, he gripped his own guitar a little tighter. Magic was as unique to every wizard as fingerprints. What were the chances he would just walk into a random cafe and stumble upon a wizard he'd already met at some point during his nine hundred years of living?

_'This would be something that happens to me, wouldn't it?'_ Douxie reasoned to himself with a somewhat resigned irritation.

The music and the waves of magic slowly faded away as the song came to a close and the crowd cheered, clapping wildly and chugging sodas. A bit of contented calm settled over the crowd as the drummer stood and picked up an electric banjo, preparing for the next song. She eased into the music like a professional, but it didn't have the same intense feeling the first song did. The singer had stepped off the stage and through a door to the back of the cafe, unnoticed by all but one curious wizard. Swallowing his hesitation, Douxie followed.

"Of all the cafes, you had to walk into the one where a wizard was performing," Archie stated once they'd slipped into the much quieter back hallway. "So much for 'simple mic night,' hm?"

Douxie could only shrug, at a loss for an explanation. "It's not like I did this on purpose."

"Could have fooled me. Should we really be going to talk to her?"

"We're in a new city, it couldn't hurt to have some new allies. Besides," Doux flashed his familiar a grin as he opened a door labeled **Practice Room**. "Did you hear that music? That was powerful. If nothing else, I could use some musical advice from these girls."

The tiny room was empty, dimly lit by a lamp in the corner. There was one threadbare couch, a coffee table piled high with books and papers, and a couple of wooden chairs. A door in the corner led to the back alley, which was dark and quiet.

Archie padded into the room and leaped up onto the couch, looking trepidatiously at the mountain of mess on the coffee table, atop which was perched two half-empty cups of tea. "This is somehow both charmingly grunge and pityingly pathetic. No wonder you like these people, their aesthetic lines up with yours."

Rolling his eyes, Doux turned away from the cat and stepped further into the room, glancing around curiously. Without warning a wave of magic sliced through the room, throwing him back against the far wall.

"Sorry, this room is off-limits. To magical creatures and non-magical creatures alike."

Pale teal magic emanated from the singer's hands as she stood in the doorway and held the intruders in their place. Dark brown eyes surveyed both Douxie and Archie with sharp caution.

"Isn't it a little below the Coven to hire wizards to do their dirty work?" The girl asked, her sharp words reverberating through the air and bouncing off the walls. "I thought they would at least come after us themselves."

Archie opened his mouth and shot a ball of fire at her, narrowly missing setting the couch on fire. Douxie broke free from her hold while she was distracted and readied himself for a fight.

"Sorry, no idea what you're talking about. I'm just here looking for someone."

"Well look elsewhere."

Music and magic clashed and mixed in the small space as each wizard used their instrument against the other, creating one epic soundtrack to the magical fight. It was a wonder no one came to see what the ruckus was about as sound and light bounced around the room until the walls shook. Archie ran across the back of the couch and leaped at the girl, only to be intercepted and tackled to the ground by a sleek golden fox who hissed at him. The two animals grappled and rolled around on the floor in a blur of fur and fiery light.

Douxie didn't immediately want to hurt the girl, so he tried to keep himself on the defensive as the girl swung at him. She strummed her ukulele, sending a powerful force careening at him. The impact threw him out the door and into the back alley, the door clinging desperately to its hinges. Before he could fully regain his balance she was there swinging at him, forcing him to duck and roll away to put some distance between them.

"You know, I never before considered ukuleles to be so dangerous," he said, dodging another zap of energy. "I can't decide if this revelation is exciting or terrifying. Maybe both?"

"Cute and terrifying is kind of my desired aesthetic," she replied, throwing a shield up against the blast he sent her way.

He chuckled. "Yeah, I kind of got that from your soft punk vibes. Not that my opinion counts for much, but I think you've succeeded in establishing those vibes."

"Oh! So his charm game is one hundred," a smile tugged at the corners of her lips as she retorted. "Do you always flirt with girls you fight?"

"No, but I suppose there's a first time for everything. I guess that makes you special."

"You talk too much."

She threw a spell at him and it plastered itself over his mouth, effectively shutting him up. Douxie threw a spell right back at her, distracting her long enough to dispel the symbol covering his mouth. At the same time, Archie came flying out into the alley with the fox chasing after him, running up along the wall and lunging to pull him from the air.

As the four of them duked it out in the alley, a new figure had appeared in the cafe doorway. With wide eyes, the drummer watched the fight, the styrofoam cups of tea in her hands quickly going cold. "Delia, what the heck are you doing?!" She exclaimed, taking a step back into the doorway where she wouldn't be hit by the waves of magic that were flying around the alley. "Who is this guy?"

"I'm a little busy right now, Winnie!" The girl, Delia, answered.

Douxie jumped to avoid a blast and backed himself up against the wall, still attempting to get through this without having to hurt her. "Listen, I think we got off on the wrong foot here. I-"

Before he could finish, a wave of neon green magic came slicing through the alley and hit Delia, throwing her back against the stone wall at the end of the alley. She fell to the ground and groaned, struggling to get back up. The fox ran to her immediately, standing protectively over her wizard.

"Well well well, if I knew you would be that easy to take out, I would have done it way sooner," a raspy voice mockingly spoke from the other end of the alley. Dressed to impress in rich red velvet and black fishnets, a young woman stepped into the street light. She flipped her blonde bangs away from her eyes, a cruel smirk twisting her lips. "Come on Cordelia, I expected at least a little better from you, ratty wizard that you are." Green eyes took notice to the other figures standing in the alleyway, and she raised a perfectly plucked eyebrow. "Ah, a new wizard's in town. Good, I like neutral parties." She glanced around the wrecked alley, smirk growing. "Or perhaps not so neutral."

"Who the crap are you?!" Winnie broke in. She stepped boldly into the alley, still holding cups of tea and glaring, her gaze darting from person to person as if she couldn't decide who to be most indignant with. "What is this, a meet-beat-up night?"

"My name is Katherine, but you can call me Kate." Kate stepped forward, her smirk softening to a smile that would have seemed friendly if it hadn't also seemed somehow slimy coming from her red-lacquered lips. "I actually came to meet you, Winnifred."

"It's Winnie," the girl immediately retorted. "Only my friends get to call me Winnifred. And we are not friends."

"I'd like us to be, though."

Opening her hands, Kate let glowing green streams of magic flow like water from her hands, swirling prettily through around her and through the air. "My sisters and I heard of your newfound magical abilities, and so I came to offer you a place in our coven."

Winnie narrowed her brown eyes, expression dark with suspicion. "Why the crap would I want to be a part of your coven?"

"Sisterhood, training, magical knowledge you couldn't get from the untrained little wench over there. I imagine you've only just begun to harness your powers. My sisters and I-"

A blast of energy interrupted Kate, latching itself onto the streams of magic she was emanating and exploding. The witch was tossed into the street while Douxie, Winnie, and Archie were all thrown to the ground, which shook in the shockwave.

A bruised and battered Delia had climbed to her feet, wiping blood from her forehead. "I'm not letting my friend get roped up into that vicious little circle you call a coven, Kate."

"You really can't just stay down, can you?" Kate climbed to her feet, clearly annoyed as tendrils of magic once more rose up around her, ready to strangle Cordelia and toss her body around till it shattered. "Fine, I'll finish you right here if that's what I have to do."

Tentacles of magic whipped through the air, reaching and straining to wrap themselves around a neck and snap it in two. A wave of sound rose to meet it, rippling through the air and distorting the light in the alley into monstrous shapes. With a high-pitched ringing, the wave ripped through some of the tendrils but others split, still pushing on towards their target. The fox leaped gracefully through the air and latched onto one of the tentacles, sinking her teeth in and ripping it to pieces before one of the others wrapped around her small body and tossed her aside.

Delia could feel the heat of the magic just inches from her skin when suddenly a shield of blazing blue rose up in front of her, stopping the tendrils and shattering them on impact.

Indignant, Kate turned her intense glare on Douxie, who stood with staff firmly in hand. "Not so good at being a neutral party, are you?"

"Not when one party is out to murder the other, no," he replied.

She lashed her tendrils at him but he blocked, lunging forward to swing at her with his staff. She stumbled back, and he took advantage of that to knock her feet out from under her, staff glowing brightly as he held it over her.

"I would recommend you leave now."

There was no denying she was defeated, and Kate knew that. Even if she could take on Douxie, there was no way she could take both him and Delia on at the same time. Not alone. Standing, Kate brushed dirt off her party dress and eyed the young man with interest.

"Who are you, wizard?"

"Hisirdoux Casperan," he answered confidently. "Former apprentice to Merlin, master wizard."

She was most definitely interested now. With a coy smile, Kate opened a portal behind her and stepped back into it. "Well then, welcome to the city. Be seeing you later, Hisirdoux."

Silence filled the alley as the remaining three people and the two familiars took a breath and took stock of their situation. None of them seemed to know what to do or what to say and so they just looked at each other, wary intrigue punctuated only by crickets.

"Ay Winnie, Dee." Three heads swiveled to the door, where stood a sleepy-looking woman with braided red hair piled so high she seemed ready to topple over from the weight of it. "It's almost closing time, get your stuff off the stage." Without waiting for an answer, she slammed the door shut and left the three young adults standing awkwardly in the alley.

Winnie looked first over at Douxie, staring at him like someone who'd just been handed a wild animal and didn't know exactly what to do with it. Then she looked over at Delia and shrugged. "See you inside," was all she said before she left, the door slamming behind her.

Cordelia followed, pausing beside Douxie. She hesitated, awkwardness washing over her as the adrenaline faded away. "Thanks for the help," she said quietly.

"Of course," he replied immediately. "What was all that about, anyway?"

"It's nothing you'd want to get wrapped up in."

"I think I'm already wrapped up in it, whether I wanted to be or not."

She looked up to meet his gaze, searching those golden eyes for something she didn't articulate. Trustworthiness, reliability, kindness? Whatever it was, she seemed to find it as her expression softened and she said, "If you really want to know, then come back to the cafe tomorrow night. I work here till we close at midnight. I'll explain everything then." She shocked him by offering up a smile, shy and cautious but undeniably impish. "I suppose I owe you that much."

Without letting him reply, Delia walked back inside and her familiar bounded after her. The door shut and Douxie was left standing alone, staring after her and collecting his thoughts. At his feet, Archie sat and flicked his tail.

" _'Simple open mic night,'_ indeed."


	2. We Built this Alliance on Rock n' Roll pt. 2

No musicians were rocking out on stage when Douxie and Archie entered the cafe the next night; the only music floating through the air came from some speakers over by the counter. He had come fairly close to closing time, so there weren't any other patrons lingering under the dim lights. The girl behind the counter was the drummer from last night. If he remembered correctly, her name was Winnie. She was staring into a newly cleaned silver coffee pot, applying some dark-purple-almost-black lipstick to her lips. At the sound of the door slamming shut, her gaze snapped up to meet his and she grinned.

"Hey, you actually came back!"

He chuckled, throwing his arms out in a bit of a lame display of himself. "I came back. Please tell me I'm not going to get smacked with a ukulele again. That was honestly one of the most terrifying things I've faced in my nine hundred years of being alive."

"You're nine hundred?!" She snapped the cap back on her lipstick, eyebrows disappearing under her unruly black bangs. "That's...holy crap. Wow. You don't look old though."

"Decelerated aging," he said with a shrug. "It's weird. So," Douxie slid onto one of the stools as Archie hopped up onto the counter. "What exactly am I here for?"

"You asked for an explanation, so I'm going to give you one," Delia spoke as she entered from a back room with her fox familiar perched on her shoulders. After fixing Douxie and Archie with a hard glare, the fox jumped from Delia's shoulders up to an empty shelf. She settled there, watching the newcomers intently.

In the meantime, Delia pulled three cups out from under the counter. "Do you prefer coffee or tea?"

"Tea."

With well-practiced flourish, Delia steeped and poured three cups of deep berry-colored tea. A light floral scent rose up from the steaming cups, accentuated by the sweet smell of the honey she added.

She slid one of the cups over the counter to him, smiling the same shy but mischievous smile she'd shown yesterday. "Here, on the house. Consider it an apology for preemptively attacking you last night," she said, a shameful blush darkening her cheeks.

As she poured and served the tea, Winnie poured a bit of cream into a saucer and slid it toward Archie with a wink. Then she jumped up to sit on the counter, swinging her legs and coming dangerously close to kicking Delia. "So, can we skip the boring small talk and just get rolling?"

"Right, yes." Delia adjusted her glasses and awkwardly brushed a few stray strands of hair back from her face. "I suppose I should start by introducing myself. My name's Cordelia Dylan, but everyone calls me Delia. The fox is Laurie, my familiar."

"It's Laura to you," the familiar spoke in a cool, dignified tone. Her tail swished sharply, clearly displaying her disapproval of the two newcomers.

"I'm Winnie!" The other girl broke in, grinning. "Winnifred, but no one ever calls me that except Dee, when she's angry at me haha."

Douxie smiled kindly, bowing his head respectfully to both girls. "Hisirdoux Casperan, at your service. And this is Archie."

"Merlin's infamous apprentice," Delia mused, eyeing him curiously. She absently tapped her fingers against the side of her mug, her expression thoughtful. "It's nice to formally meet you."

Her words made Winnie do a double-take, almost choking on her tea. "Wait, you guys know each other?"

"Wizards tend to run in many of the same circles and be at most of the same major events."

"We've run into each other quite a few times over the years, actually," Douxie added, counting on his fingers as he spoke. "Shakespeare's cast party, 1599; French prison, 1790; New York in 1875 through 1902; Russia, 1918, Vienna hospital, 1939; just to name a few."

Winnie listened with intent interest, lips pursed as she considered just how many historical events these two wizards could have been at. Or could have caused, for that matter. Only twenty years old, the idea that anyone could live over four hundred years like Delia was already astounding to Winnie. But nine hundred? That was just ridiculous.

"So what's brought you to my city today?" Delia asked. "Hopefully not another world war."

"Here to avoid the apocalypse, actually." With Archie helping to fill in details, Douxie told them the story of how he'd gone from working and living a relatively simple life in Arcadia to going back in time on the commands of the late Merlin, saving and being saved from his friends, and finally bringing Nari here to protect her from the Arcane Order, who sought to end the world as everyone knew it in the name of magical balance. His audience listened in silence, taking in the story and realizing how close their world had come to crashing down. The tale took longer to tell than Douxie expected, and once it was finally done he rubbed the back of his neck, unused to speaking so long and actually having people listen.

A low whistle broke the silence as Winnie shook her head slowly. "Man, you could make a movie out of that stuff."

"It definitely wasn't boring," he replied. "So, that's my story. Now, your turn. What was last night's attack all about?"

"It's not quite as intense a story. But-" Delia started to explain, only to be interrupted.

"Basically, I woke up one morning with these out of control magic powers," Winnie broke in to take over and tell her story. "Real superhero origin movie stuff. I hid in my room for a couple of days in my favorite sweatpants like a good emo rocker because why not, then coincidentally while I was taking a walk one night to clear my head I stumbled upon this fight in the cemetery. Which, first of all, is metal as heck. It turned out to be this punk," she slapped Delia on the back, nearly making her drop her mug. "Fighting the Coven who are I guess these three sisters who run around the city like lunatics and want me to join them as their fourth? But I'm not really down with that. Anyway, so I went and found Delia and basically asked her to teach me how to use my magic because why not? Great power and great responsibility and all that great stuff."

Delia set her mug down for its own safety and nodded. "She asked me to teach her, despite my telling her that I myself have never had a formal master train me and therefore I'm not fit to take an apprentice. But she wouldn't leave and so I've been stuck with her ever since," she said, her tone somewhere between frustration and fondness.

"She also likes me cause I play good drums," Winnie added. She grinned as she wiped smudged lipstick from her chin. "Personally, I prefer playing electric banjo."

Douxie leaned forward slightly, intrigued. "Electric banjo?" He asked, as though that was the focus of the entire story he'd just been told. "Didn't even realize that was a thing."

"Right?! It's so much fun."

Before anyone could start geeking out over music, Laurie cleared her throat loudly. "Now that we've exchanged our semi-tragic and unusual backstories, are we done here?"

The two girls exchanged a look and shrugged. All Delia had promised to give Douxie was an explanation, and now he had it. There didn't seem to be anything more to say.

Douxie could have said a polite goodbye and left. He had to find himself a second job and there was an apartment to finish unpacking and an entire list of other things to do. But something in him told Doux to stay. Every other time he'd met Delia before he'd left and he doubted she'd feel much upset if he did the same now. But the situation had changed, they weren't just independent players in history's game. She had a city to protect, a witches' coven on her back, an apprentice she wasn’t ready for, and he was alone in a new city trying to protect the world. Maybe it was time they stopped simply passing each other by like strangers on a sidewalk.

While Doux had been considering his options, Delia and Winnie had been awkwardly looking at him, waiting for him to get up or just do . . . something. Realizing this, he cleared his throat and decided just to say it. "How about a deal? You help me protect this city and Nari from the other members of the Arcane Order, and I'll help you train Winnie," he offered.

"Seriously?!" Winnie lightly smacked Delia's arm, brown eyes flashing with excitement. A few loose strands of hot pink hair stood up in the air also in excitement. Or perhaps from static. "Dee you gotta say yes! Please?!"

Delia furrowed her brow, fingernails tapping anxiously against the counter. "You're pretty trusting for a highly targeted wizard in a new city, aren't you?"

"Every time you and I have run into each other in the past, I've only ever seen you helping people. That counts for something. The question you should be asking is whether you can trust the highly targeted wizard who's new to your city."

"Douxie, are you sure about this?" Archie questioned him while, from her perch on the shelf, Laurie flattened her ears and echoed the same hesitance.

"Is this really a good idea?"

Taking her time (or maybe stalling for time), Delia took her glasses off and cleaned them with the hem of her shirt, taking comfort in the way the world shifted from sharp and clear and bold to soft and blurry and gentle. She took a deep breath, watching the blurriness slowly swirl and letting her thoughts flow through the twists and spirals.

Finally, she slipped her glasses back on and looked up at Douxie with an unreadable expression. "How good are you at playing that guitar I saw yesterday?"

He raised his eyebrows. That was not the reply he'd expected. "Fairly good, if I do say so myself. Nine hundred years of music practice doesn't hurt."

"If you play open mic nights with us, then you've got yourself a deal."

Stunned, he couldn't help but let a small laugh slip out of him. "Really?"

She shrugged, her impish smile teasing but kind. "No better thing to build a friendship on than music, especially some good old rock 'n roll."

"That's fair."

He didn't think about the decision for long. Douxie smiled as he stood up and held his hand out to her. "Alright, it's a deal." Without letting herself hesitate, Delia took his hand and shook it firmly.

Winnie watched them seal the deal and cheered, upsetting her mug and spilling tea all over the floor in the process. It crashed to the floor, making Delia jump and scaring both Archie and Laurie from their respective spots. But the punk seemed oblivious to the short shot of chaos she'd caused as she raised her hands triumphantly in the air.

"We've got a band!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! :)


	3. Quiet Time

"Delia? Douxie?" Winnie called out as she walked out of her bedroom. She haphazardly tied her hair up into a chaotic ponytail, absent-mindedly noting that she'd need to redye the pink streaks soon. "What time is it? I slept way longer than I thought I would. You ever go to take a nap and at first, you can't fall asleep but then you do and you have the absolute weirdest-"

A sharp but soft "shhh!" cut her off as she stepped into the living room. Archie, perched comfortably on the arm of their worn purple couch, nodded his head towards the window.

One of the first things Winnie had done when Delia first asked her to share an apartment together was suspend a hammock in the living room, right in front of the window in order to get an absolutely perfect view of the city. Currently, the hammock was occupied.

Shooting the shapeshifter a curious look, Winnie quietly stepped over to have a look.

Douxie was sprawled out in the hammock snoring softly, his hair a disheveled mess. He had one leg slung over the edge of the hammock as though he'd been swinging the hammock at some point, but now he was fast asleep.

Nestled into his side with her head on his chest was Delia, who was also fast asleep. Her glasses lay crooked on her nose and the book she'd been reading had slipped from her hand and fallen to the floor. Doux had one arm tucked behind his head and the other wrapped around her, holding her close. They'd been sharing a pair of earbuds before they fell asleep, the chord half tangled in Delia's long hair, and Winnie could faintly hear rock music still thrumming out from the earpieces. At some point, Archie had draped a blanket over them, completing the cute, comfy picture they made.

"They've been that way for the past hour and a half," Archie murmured as he flew over to perch on Winnie's shoulder, looking down at the two wizards with a fond smile. "I thought about waking them when dinner time rolled around, but I just didn't have the heart to."

"Yeah, might as well just let them sleep. They need it," Winnie replied as she turned away and headed to the kitchen. She hid her grin, but Archie could hear the amusement in her voice as she suppressed her laughter. "Where's my phone? I need photo proof that this happened. 'We're not together' my butt."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! :)


	4. What We Need to Do pt. 1

"No more games! It is time you accept your destiny," Bellroc growled. "It is time you became a part of the Arcane Order and help us bring balance back to the world."

Winnie spat blood from her mouth and blasted the furious creature backward, purple light clashing against red. "My destiny is none of your business!"

From behind her, Skrael summoned a whirlwind of ice, the cold shards slicing through the air. "Enough talk. Become one of us or die."

"Hey watch it, this is my favorite band shirt!" Panting heavily, Winnie dragged the last bit of her strength to the surface, watching the violet lines of magic leak from her veins and pool in her hands. "I'm never going to be one of you. I'd rather die."

"Then so be it!"

The sky seemed to tilt on its side as an explosion of angry orange light ripped through the clouds, leaving fiery trails in its wake. The ripples tore through the surrounding trees and rang out over the mountain, silencing any other noise.

Minutes later, Delia came sprinting up the mountain, hands bloody and brown from fighting her way up the mountain. "Winnie!" She ran to her fallen friend with Nari and Laurie right behind her.

Winnie lay still on the hard ground, body bruised and mangled. Blood was drying in her hair, turning her pink streaks bronze. Laurie reached her first, carefully sniffing and inspecting their fallen friend.

"She's fading," the fox whispered.

Delia knelt down, teal light surrounding her hands. But she quickly discovered it was useless. "I can't heal her. Something else is wrong. Nari?" She looked over to the forest creature pleadingly.

With a frown on her face, Nari gently took Winnie's hand. A tear slipped from her eye. "The magic my siblings placed in her, it's corrupting her," she said softly. "She will die."

"No." Standing, Delia began to pace, racking her brain for any kind of solution. In a vain attempt to clear her head long enough to think of something, she tied up her dark hair and cleaned her glasses with her stained shirt. "No, there has to be something we can do."

"There is nothing. The magic must be cleansed from her. But I do not have the kind of strength to do so. I would need my siblings," Nari said as she stood. "I'm sorry, Cordelia."

At that moment, Douxie came tearing up the hill with Archie. The moment he set eyes on them, his face fell. "What happened?" He immediately walked over to Winnie.

Nari explained in her soft voice, her dark words falling through the air likes stones. "I'm afraid there is no way to help her."

"Oh, dear Winnie." Archie nuzzled the girl, sadness flooding him at how pale and cold she was. "I'm so sorry. We should have gotten here sooner."

Douxie sat back on his heels and looked over at Delia, unsure what to say or how to comfort her.

Laurie trotted over to her wizard, rubbing against her legs. "Dee, there's nothing-" The girl waved her hand dismissively, staring into space at something only she could see.

"There is something." Delia stopped pacing, realization dawning on her face. She looked down at her familiar, realization turning to sorrow. "There's a legend among wizards about a spell that was forbidden in the very earliest days of magic."

Douxie picked up on what she was talking about almost immediately and shot to his feet. "No, absolutely not," he stated, grabbing Delia's arms with something that was almost desperation. "Delia, love, you can't."

"Let's not make any hasty decisions here," Archie chimed in.

"What legend is this?" Laurie asked. Being a young familiar, she wasn't as learned in the history of magic as those around her. But silence fell over the group, no one able to say the words lest they make legend too much of a reality.

It was Nari who finally dared to speak. "A soul for a soul," she stated. "A life for a life. One magical source for another equal source. It is the oldest of exchanges in magic, and the exchange which all other magical trades are built upon."

"And you're not doing it," Douxie insisted. "We can't lose both of you."

"Doux, you know there's no other way," Delia said, breaking away from him. "We're out of time and out of other options. We need Winnie, she's got the best chances of all of us of taking down the Arcane Order. She has their power in her."

"It's that power that's killing her!"

"And that's why I have to go and fix it!"

He shook his head, looking everywhere but at her as he searched for another option. "At least let me do it. My magic is stronger. I have a better chance at-"

Her soft hand on his cheek made him stop as Delia made him look at her, her brown eyes soft and watery. "No, it has to be me. You need to be here to protect Nari and Winnie, in case the Arcane Order or their minions come back." She slipped her other hand in his, squeezing tightly. "We all have our parts to play in this battle. We've known that since we started this. You have to do what you need to, and you have to let me do the same."

"Delia, please."

"I'm sorry."

A spark of teal light flashed through the air and Douxie was asleep. With Archie's help, Delia laid him on the ground. "He'll wake up in a few minutes," she said. "I took just enough energy to knock him out."

"Cordelia, please reconsider," the cat familiar asked one last time.

But she only smiled sadly and pet his head. Then she turned to her own familiar, who leaped into her arms, nuzzling her chin. They held each other for a minute, neither saying a word until Delia whispered something to her. Laurie nodded as Delia put her back down, shaking her fur out to try and keep from crying.

Finally, Delia held a hand out to Nari. "Laurie and Archie will look out for you until Douxie wakes up in a couple minutes, okay?"

"Good luck," Nari replied, placing her small hand in Delia's. There was another flash of light, and Delia caught Nari before the small creature could fall to the ground. After laying her friend down as comfortably as possible, Delia stood up. Three orbs of magic floated in her hands: green, blue, and teal. Slowly, they began to spin and mix together.

_"Excutio temporis et spatii."_

The light turned white as lines began to draw themselves on the ground, spinning into geometric shapes and sigils. She drew the same sigils with her hands, watching the symbols circle her and attach themselves to her skin.

_"Et animam,"_

Eyes closed, she felt waves of magic leave her and warp the air, the pressure building until she could feel it pushing under her skin and breaking her bones.

_"Pro anima!"_

There was no explosion, no tremendous sound that signaled her end. There was one moment of blinding white light, then twilight settled back in as gently as falling snow. Delia's body fell to the ground, limp and silent. With a low wail, Laurie padded over to lay on her wizard's unbreathing chest. Bowing his head, Archie sat and waited for the other three to awaken.

If she had any expectations as to what limbo would be like, they were all quickly squashed. Up was down and left was right as Delia tumbled headlong down a rabbit hole of time and space. Images and people flashed through the darkness in an endless blur, assaulting her senses. Did she even have a body to sense things with? She wasn't sure.

She drew another sigil in the air, creating a shield and protecting herself right as she reached the bottom of the tunnel and plunged into something cold and all-consuming. The water that was not water was pale and thin, flowing around her like ribbons of silk. Through the shimmering fog, Delia could just make out transparent shapes and small glowing orbs, manifestations of souls.

Maybe it was because she wanted to find her so badly, but somehow Delia was able to find Winnie quickly. She swam to her, disheartened to see her friend floating so still in the water. Winnie was clearer to see, being so close to death. Imbedded in her chest was a white feather, the curse from the Arcane Order.

The delicate feather was quickly darkening to black, small strings of it falling away. Holding her hands out in front of her, Delia summoned every ounce of magic she contained within her own existence, drawing energy and warmth from the water around her and letting it build. At the same time, the feather rose out of Winnie's chest, crumbling faster.

_"Sana mundaret,"_ she spoke with authority, letting the waves of sound cause ripples around her. _"Respirare vivere!"_

Distortion filled the space, tearing the feather apart before forcing it back together again, whole and pure white. It returned to its place in Winnie's chest and she faded away from limbo.

"Kick their butts for me, Winnie," Delia bid her friend goodbye. "See you later."

Now alone, she drifted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! :)


	5. What We Need to Do pt. 2

**Bang!**

The wall cracked as Winnie made her presence known by swinging the door open, sweeping into the practice room with all the effect of a thunderous storm. Her fingers twitched, magic crackling through the air around her like lightning. Real lightning flashed outside the window, turning black clouds dark violet.

As she paced the room, Douxie trailed in with Archie and Nari behind him. He carried Delia in his arms.

"How do we find the Arcane Order?" Winnie demanded, her voice echoing through the small space and bouncing off the walls. "How do we make them pay?"

Douxie gently laid Delia down on the couch, reluctant to let her go. Laurie still lay on her wizard's chest, refusing to leave her. Pain and sorrow left the familiar limp and tired, unwilling to even lift her head. Nari pet her gently, sharing in the creature's misery.

Douxie forced himself to turn away from the sorrowful sight and face Winnie. "They'll come to us," he said darkly. "As soon as they realize you're still alive, they'll come to find you."

"Good. I want them to find me."

Without another word, Winnie stomped out of the room, her combat boots clunking all the way down the hall. As her footsteps faded away, Douxie sunk down to the floor and leaned back against the couch, stony and silent. Archie climbed into the wizard's lap to nuzzle him. Douxie immediately wrapped the cat in his arms, shoulders shaking with anger and sorrow as tears burned his eyes.

"What are we going to do next?" The familiar ventured to ask after Douxie had stopped shaking.

"We're going to find the Arcane Order," Douxie answered, his voice low and steady as his words seemed to fall through the air with the heaviness of bricks. "And we're going to finish them once and for all."

Perhaps it was magic or perhaps it was just the weight of emotions flowing through the remaining heroes, but the air grew thick and heavy with tension as the shadows along the wall grew longer and darker.

Archie pulled away and inspected Douxie's face carefully, searching for answers, and trying to read the young man's feelings. Finally, he nodded solemnly.

"Alright then, let's go."

The air outside sizzled with humidity and buzzed with the threat of storms as Winnie left the cafe, yanking on the sleeves of her worn leather jacket as she pulled it on and prepared to meet the order. After storming out of the practice room, she'd only taken enough time to reapply some of her favorite dark lipstick (for extra confidence) and bundle her hair up in some haphazard updo before setting out to beat some primordial beings to the ground. Raw and violent power, first given to her by the Arcane Order then restored by Delia's sacrifice, zinged through her veins and pulsed under her skin, begging to be unleashed as the strongest of storms and wind.

Winnie strode forward, each step hollowly echoing against the concrete. Her ominous storm had chased everyone inside, leaving her alone on the sidewalk as she walked towards her revenge.

"Winnie!" With Nari, Archie, and Laurie running behind him, Douxie sprinted until he caught up to Winnie, falling into stride beside her. She was the perfect picture of tranquil fury and he shuddered. He'd met many powerful people over the course of nine hundred years, but the sheer amount of reality-altering and earth-shattering magic that radiated from Winnie was beyond anything he'd ever seen before. "What's your plan?"

"Find the Order and kill them," was her blunt reply. She glanced at him from the corner of her eye. "Any ideas?"

He glanced up to the angry sky then around them at the empty streets and towering buildings, considering their options. "Here, go left." They walked into the city's central park, empty but for squirrels and plastic litter.

"The Order will come to us once they know you're alive. We just need to make sure they know it."

Without a word, Winnie threw her head back and thrust her arms out, bright purple magic rippling out from her body. Instantly the sky roared, broken into pieces like shattered glass by lightning. There was no rain, just rolling thunder, and wind that clawed at the trees, rattled light posts, and threw trash cans.

The other three watched the brilliant and horrifying display with awe, watching as the weather turned from peaceful and mild to turbulent and emotional in mere seconds.

"Yeah," Douxie nodded slowly, manifesting his staff in his hand. "That'll do it."

The feeling of grass tickling her face and the smell of dust and clay in her nose was not what Delia expected from the afterlife. Opening her eyes, she abruptly sat up and took in her surroundings. She sat on the ground, clay and dirt trampled and sun-baked into an ugly yellow road. The sick was a similar sickly pale yellow, the clouds thin and still. Dry-tipped grass and gnarled trees grew sparsely over the area, squat wooden houses and buildings placed carelessly between.

"Of all the places I expected to wake up, it was not Salem," Delia muttered, recognizing her old haunting ground and the original setting of the witch trials that had caused witches and wizards alike so much trouble. "If this is the afterlife, then I must surely be in h-"

"Hello again, Cordelia."

Delia turned and found herself face-to-face with a young woman she hadn't seen in a few hundred years. Still dressed in her old Puritan garb, Abigail Williams stood with her hands folded demurely in front of her, a dangerous smile stretching her lips.

"Abigail. How's the afterlife been for you? I gotta say, I didn't expect us to end up in the same place."

With a haughty chuckle, Abigail shook her head. "I see death hasn't taken any wit from you. Too bad that wit can't translate into more traditional intelligence. This isn't the afterlife, this is limbo."

"Limbo?" Delia furrowed her brow, the pieces starting to click together. A life for a life, that was the deal she made. So why would she be in limbo, and for that matter why would Abigail Williams - who had been dead for a very long time - be in limbo unless...? Realization dawning on her, Delia opened her hand and readied a spell, anticipating what was coming next.

Abigail shrugged lightly, as nonchalant as if she were merely making small talk with a casual acquaintance instead of facing down an old enemy. "The Order had this rather brilliant plan to let me back into the world of the living. But then you couldn't even die properly, could you? So now," the witch's expression hardened into one of fierce hatred, her entire demeanor changing as her body began to glow with a pale yellow light. "Now I have to kill you myself!"

Magic pushed against magic and the smell of death rose in the air as Winnie and Douxie battled against the Arcane Order. Empowered by the magic they'd taken from killing the Coven Sisters, Bellroc and Skrael had no qualms about showing off. They threw raw energy around without caring what was damaged or destroyed in the process.

"EAT MY DIRT YOU PRIMORDIAL BUTTHEADS!" Winnie screamed, eyes shining with power as she mercilessly threw spells at the demigods. Orbs of magic and fists flew with equal consistency as she unleashed all her wrath on the Arcane Order. Bellroc grunted as she defended herself against the aggressive attacks, taunting Winnie every time the wizard missed.

Bellroc dodged a punch aimed directly at her face and hit Winnie with her staff, knocking her back. "You waste your energy," she snarled.

But Winnie wasn't accepting any fight talk from anyone but herself. She clenched her fists and swung at the being again, bringing a ribbon of lightning with her. "Shut up!"

Skrael circled around Douxie, icicles cutting through the air carried by Winnie's winds as he tried to blast the wizard. "Hold still you ant," he growled, icy stalactites rising like mountains from the ground. Douxie swung his guitar and smashed one of the ice blasts to pieces.

"Gotta try harder than that!"

Nari assisted as she could, but her magic wasn't as strong as it usually was against both her superpowered siblings. In between flashes of light and fire, Archie and Laurie ran, protecting the third member of the Arcane order and helping the two wizards as much as possible.

Lightning struck the ground once more, splitting the earth and shaking the ground until it rumbled like thunder. Winnie wrung power from the clouds, bringing the storm down from the sky.

A dull thud echoed in her ears as Delia hit the ground, coughing from the impact. Abigail strode towards her purposefully, expression cruel and triumphant.

"What are you reserving your energy for, Cordelia? You were never able to beat me when we were both living, what makes you think you could do it now? Just give up already."

"I hate you." Delia spat, letting her magic build up, turning from teal to black to white and back to teal. "You have manipulated and abused so many people, so many lives. How many souls have been hurt in your quest for power?"

The ground splintered, magic pooling up through the cracks like molten lava. The scenery warped around them as the air rippled and rang with haunting melodies.

"I don't care what primordial beings from the dawn of time have to say about the world and the twisted way they think things should be. They don't deserve that authority over us."

Abigail's eyes turned black then golden, the same sickly yellow light oozing from her very skin. "You always were good with speeches, when you bothered to open your mouth. Too bad it's all gone to waste. Now, DIE!" The exclamation rang through the air, amplified by the sheer amount of magic flowing through the entire space. She shouldn't have shouted.

Cordelia absorbed the sound, letting its resonance soak into her skin and rest there. She stole energy from the ground and the trees, watching them shrivel and turn brown in seconds. She held all that energy in, letting it multiple and fold over on itself again and again and again. Abigail flew at her and she released the energy, sending the streams of sound and energy ripping through the very fabric of limbo.

The sheer force of the magic tossed Abigail backward as though she were a feather. It settled into her very being, warm and clear, and impossible to resist. Her soul faded away, sent back to wherever it had come from before. She didn't even scream. She didn't utter a sound.

"And stay dead this time, buttsnack," Delia declared firmly. The notes faded away as Abigail did, and in her place there floated a single spark of white magic. "If I'm going to die for anyone it sure isn't going to be the Arcane Order."

She reached out and cupped the spark of white magic gently in her hand.

Ice towered above the trees, only to be melted by fire then carried into the air by winds strong enough to tear a city to pieces. Flashes of red, light blue, royal blue, green, and white filled the sky. With a scream of pure anger, Winnie hurled a hurricane at Bellroc, tossing the demigod up into the sky only to bring her crashing back down to the ground.

"Winnie, watch out!" Douxie threw a shield up behind her just as Skrael threw dozens of arrows cold enough to burn in her direction.

Eyes glowing white with power, Winnie threw her hands up towards the sky, trying sigils against the night's darkness. Clouds turned grey, rumbling with emotion as they swirled together. Winnie threw her hands back down, dragging lightning down from the storm and scorching the clearing mercilessly.

"How dare you abuse the power we gave you!" Skrael yelled indignantly. "You would be nothing, not even a magician, without us!"

"Then you should have thought twice before giving it to me!" Winnie's lungs burned as she screamed into the wind, letting her very shrieks cut at the Arcane Order as she rose into the sky. "This power is mine. I am a wizard. And you are going to pay! TAKE MY DEFIANCE AND DIE!"

As Winnie clashed with the Order in the sky, Douxie leaned against a tree and used the moment's distraction to take a breath. "We can't do this much longer," he said as Archie came running over to him. "The Order is too powerful, and Winnie's going to run out of energy soon if she doesn't back off."

Nari looked up, watching her friend fight her siblings with relentless fury. "I can help and buy you some time," she said with determination. "But you must think of a plan, and quickly." Leaving Douxie to gather himself, she ran to the middle of the clearing. Laurie, all nine tails displayed and glowing with pure light energy, ran a circle around her.

"Do what you need to," she said. "I'll protect you."

Nari placed her hands on the grounds and let magic flow from her fingers, green light flooding the ground and the trees and bringing new life to the clearing. A sweet scent filled the air, a stark contrast to the violent battle.

Spurred on by the life-giving energy Nari was pouring into the earth, Winnie wrapped the Arcane Order in winds so strong the two beings could only struggle, grunting and groaning as they were squeezed tighter and tighter.

"ENOUGH!" Bellroc shouted. She thrust her arms out, flooding the sky with fire and throwing Winnie to the ground. "Enough of this nonsense! You cannot hope to defeat us. We are the first magical beings, the ones who have known the beginnings of time and space. We have created and destroyed more magical beings than you can imagine. And if you will not become one of us and complete the Order, then we will bring forth another who will!"

Skrael pelted the heroes with magic, creating icy monsters to keep them at bay as Bellroc began chanting and drawing symbols in the sky with pure dark magic.

Archie and Laurie created a bright ring of light and fire around Douxie, Winnie, and Nari to buy them a few minutes of time.

"What is she doing?" Winnie asked as she climbed to her feet. The white light that had been emanating from her was growing dimmer, a sign that her energy was waning.

Douxie watched Bellroc, brow furrowed. "I'm not sure, but we need to stop her."

"Ya know, when I watch magical beings fight in movies, it doesn't take this long. I feel lied to."

Skrael laughed as he watched them dive back into the battle. New monsters rose up to replace the ones defeated, icicles collecting on the surrounding trees.

"Your weak attempts to resist are useless," he declared. "Shame your friend isn't here to witness your downfall, but she served her part. Thanks to her death, the Arcane Order will have its fourth member. And when you rejoin us, Nari, and you will, the Arcane Order will be complete once more!"

_'A life for a life. One magical source for another equal source.'_

Nari's words from before echoed in Douxie's head, mixing with Skrael's words and sparking a realization. The Order hadn't cared whether it had been Delia, Winnie, or Douxie himself who died. They just needed one of them, any of them, to die in order to bring someone else back from the dead. So they'd set a trap with Winnie, knowing that either Delia or Douxie would sacrifice themself for Winnie or she would die herself. No matter who it was, their plan would work. One life in exchange for another.

Except Winnie wasn't yet dead when Delia saved her.

That spark of realization grew into a little flame of hope as Douxie ran over to Winnie, smashing a few monsters on his way. "Winnie! Let Bellroc open that portal," he said urgently.

"What?!"

"No time to explain, but I've got a hunch Delia's kicking someone's butt in limbo and she's going to need a way to come back."

A wide and wicked smile spread across Winnie's face, lighting up her whole expression. "Oh HECK YEAH!"

Their short exchange went unnoticed by the two demigods, who grinned as they felt their triumph draw near. Bellroc finished drawing the portal, the threatening red symbols glowing brightly against the dark sky.

"The doorway to limbo is open!" Bellroc announced, laughing cruelly. "Soon the Order will be complete once more!"

Tense silence filled the air as they all watched the portal open, a red tear in the sky. It undulated like an eldritch creature newly born, before crumbling and falling away in one awkward, anti-climactic moment. There was a beat of stunned silence, the tension giving away to confusion. It was Bellroc who reacted first, clenching her fists in utter fury.

"What?!" She swooped down and grabbed Winnie by the throat, holding her high up in the air as Skrael blasted the clearing and knocked Nari and the two familiars away before pinning Douxie to the ground.

"What did you do?" Bellroc demanded, fingers tightening and leaving red marks on Winnie's throat.

Winnie coughed, her smile never fading. "Wasn't me, sorry fam. Maybe you should have read a manual on opening portals to limbo first?"

"Your cocky attitude does nothing to serve you." Pulling back her other hand, Bellroc shaped an orb of magic into a thin black blade. "Have fun laughing in death."

At that moment, Bellroc's symbols reappeared in the center of the clearing, except now they were white and glowing much stronger than before. They flashed, turning from white to teal, before exploding and throwing both primordial beings to the edge of the clearing. Delia dropped to the ground, very much alive and looking for a fight.

"Sorry I'm late. By the way, Abigail Williams says hi."

The scream of absolute fury that ripped itself from Bellroc's lips echoed through the entire forest, shredding the trees and sending birds fleeing into the sky.

"This is impossible!" Skrael said in disbelief, stunned into inaction.

Douxie climbed to his feet and changed his staff into his signature guitar. "Alright, I think we're about tired of fighting with the Order. It's time to say goodbye."

He started to play, letting the loud music flood the area. Delia absorbed the sound, converting the waves to energy forces that thrummed through their heads and the forest. To finish, Winnie stirred deep violet swirls of magic up until the winds whipped together into a hurricane. Together, the three wizards merged their magic - blue, teal, and purple - and held the Arcane Order trapped and suspended in the air.

The furious beings struggled and shrieked curses in a thousand languages, but the force of the winds and energy held them firmly in place, helpless.

"You've lost your way, my siblings," Nari said as she once again placed her hands against the ground. A circle of green magic lit up the clearing, symbols rising out of the ground, and creating rings around Bellroc and Skrael. Archie and Laurie lent their magic to the circle, making it glow even brighter. "It is my solemn duty to lock you away until such time as you come to realize this world is no longer ours to shape on a whim."

She closed her eyes, a tear slipping down her cheek. "I'm sorry. Goodbye."

The three wizards suddenly dispersed their magic, letting the Order fall to the ground where Nari's magic swallowed them up and entrapped them, the thick roots of a tall black tree wrapping around them and pulling them down into the ground as the tree grew up from the center of the circle. All at once, it was over. The forest settled back into its former peaceful state, the new tree the only sign that a battle had ever occurred.

"Delia!" The peace was broken by Laurie's exclamation of tearful joy as she bounded over to Delia and jumped into her arms, knocking the girl's glasses askew and nearly smothering her with affection. "Praise Merlin you're alive! How?!"

Laughing softly, Delia hugged her best fox friend close and nuzzled her soft fur. "It's a long story I'll tell you later. All that matters is I'm alive and I'm here and I'm not going to leave you again," she murmured.

Sensing a certain someone's impatience, Laurie gracefully leaped out of the girl's arms as Douxie walked up and immediately wrapped Delia in his arms, pulling her to his chest and holding her tightly. She threw her arms around his shoulders, her face pressed into the crook of his neck, and they just clung to each other for a long moment.

"Please don't die on me ever again," he whispered. "Never again."

"I'm sorry," she softly replied as his arms tightened around her. "I'm sorry, but I'm back now and I'm here to stay."

Winnie let them enjoy their reunion for about seven whole seconds before she added herself to the equation. Douxie and Delia had hardly started to let each other go when, with a strangled noise of tearful joy, Winnie flung herself at her newly-revived best friend. The three of them collapsed on the ground in a tangle, Archie and Laurie adding themselves to the heap as Nari looked on and giggled.

"If you ever sacrifice yourself for me ever again I will personally come to drag you back into the world of the living, whether you like it or not," Winnie threatened after she had squeezed the breath out of her friend.

Delia laughed, placing her hand to her chest and reveling in the feeling of her heart beating and her lungs expanding and contracting with each sound of joy that echoed up to the stars. "Don't tempt me, that actually sounds quite entertaining."

"Can we go get some food? Turns out defeating two primordial demigods from the beginning of time and magic makes one super hungry."

With a laugh, Douxie climbed to his feet and reached out to help both girls up. "Sure, let's get some dinner. Any suggestions?"

"Waffles!" Winnie exclaimed, jumping up to her feet without his help. "Waffles! Waffles! Waffles! Waffles!" She ran off without waiting for any of them, leaving the others to try and catch up.

Delia stood and watched her best friend go skipping away, happily chanting about breakfast foods and chased by a tiny demigod and two magical familiars. She turned to grin at Douxie. "Can you believe that woman is now probably the most powerful wizard in the world?"

"She's properly terrifying," Douxie agreed as he grabbed her hand and squeezed it tightly. "Should we go after them?"

"Absolutely. You heard her, we're getting waffles."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! :)


	6. Among Us Headcanons

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not really an actual chapter but I had fun coming up with these so I wanted to post them anyway.

Featuring Douxie, Nari, Winnie, and Delia.

\- Douxie is the worst player out of all of them  
\- the absolute worst, hands down  
\- he's having fun tho  
\- Archie always sits across his shoulders and gives sarcastic commentary  
\- the type to ask "how do I vent?" when he's the Imposter  
\- tries to kill/vent but always ends up doing it in front of people  
\- self-reported and tried to bluff by being like "lol guys it was me I'm the Imposter"  
\- didn't expect everyone to believe him  
\- immediately voted off  
\- never gets his tasks done as Crewmate because he can't figure out how to scan his card in admin  
\- always the first to die  
\- just floats in the cafeteria as a ghost  
\- spends the rest of the round leaning against Delia, watching the game  
\- plays occasionally, usually as a stress-reliever  
\- username is "wizardoux"  
\- color is blue (obvi) with the "dumb" sticky note on his head

\- Winnie is the best Imposter hands down  
\- even when working alone, she manages to win almost every time  
\- she kills ruthlessly. no one is safe  
\- has the maps memorized  
\- the type to kill/vent in front of a person and still manage to get away with it  
\- self-reports and says witness did the kill  
\- yelling "S U S" in the chat  
\- bullcraps her way out of being sus  
\- is always sus but no one ever has proof  
\- doesn't always get her tasks done as Crewmate because she follows anyone she thinks is sus  
\- "dude watch me scan"  
\- calls the most emergency meetings  
\- follows her killer around as a ghost and never finishes tasks  
\- "guys come on it's this person come on IT'S SO OBVIOUS"  
\- lots of shouting  
\- gets restless and distracts people with her antics and commentary  
\- plays for days  
\- username is "WINnie"  
\- color is purple with a witch hat  
\- the only one to spend actual money on the game  
\- has a Baby Crew

\- Delia is a good Crewmate but a terrible Imposter  
\- never uses the vents  
\- just kills then runs away  
\- tries to defend herself in chat but always ends up sounding more sus  
\- a good Imposter teammate tho  
\- watches your back and warns you if someone is coming as you kill  
\- the type to convincingly cover for you in chat  
\- finishes tasks at a good speed  
\- complains the entire time tho  
\- especially about the downloading task  
\- Laurie will curl up in her lap and vouch for her innocence  
\- "Dee's not the Imposter"  
\- they only believe her about half the time  
\- finishes her tasks as a ghost  
\- gives up after like three rounds  
\- ends up curling up in Doux's lap and falling asleep  
\- username is "Willy Shakes"  
\- color is cyan with bat wings hat

\- Nari doesn't really understand how to play tbh  
\- she tries tho, bless her  
\- never kills as the Imposter  
\- half because she doesn't want to  
\- half because she doesn't know how  
\- once tried to sabotage something and hit the map button instead  
\- didn't even know there were vents  
\- spends too long typing in chat  
\- chat moves along without her  
\- sends "gg" and smiley faces in the chat after a round  
\- doesn't really know how to do any of the tasks  
\- tries but is constantly lost  
\- "where/what is this task?"  
\- ends up running around aimlessly  
\- no one ever kills her cause what's the point  
\- loves the game even tho she's clueless about it  
\- mostly because it gives her something to bond with the others over  
\- will play for literal hours  
\- username is "Nari"  
\- color is green with a flower hat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! :)


	7. Warm Up

"Two shadow mephits heading downtown!" Winnie shouted as she ran through the darkened streets, chasing the nimble creatures. Her boots pounded against the concrete as stray loose strands of hair whipped against her cheeks and got in her eyes. She reached up to brush her hair back before realizing the electricity her hands were generating would absolutely ruin her hair. With a huff, she ignored her burning lungs and pushed her legs harder, gaining ground on the mephits. "Help? Please?!"  
Flashes of teal light lit up the rooftops above as Delia ran from roof to roof, jumping gaps by opening portals from one building to another. "I'll try to get in front of them, drive them into the alley!"  
"Got it!" With a shout, Winnie thrust her hands forward and shot purple and gold lightning forward, past the mephits. It struck the street, crackling angrily against the pavement. She threw more bolts to the right of the creatures, scaring them and driving them to the left. "Here they come!"  
Delia ripped open another portal and jumped through, landing solidly on her feet at the end of the alley. The mephits ran towards her, blending into the shadows and seeming like they were blinking in and out of existence. If not for their glowing golden eyes, they would have been near impossible to see. Hands glowing teal, Delia drew two sigils in the air and prepared herself. "Give me something to work with!"  
Winnie stopped at the end of the alley and conjured as much magic as she could muster, throwing it forward into the alley. Lightning once again launched forward, striking the two metal dumpsters that sat innocently against the brick wall. Both dumpsters exploded with a crash, metal scraping against metal in an ear-splitting cacophony.  
The sound echoed through the alley and Delia threw her sigils forward, drawing the sound towards her and absorbing it. The magical glow spread from her hands and wrapped around her entire body before she suddenly threw her arms out, throwing the sound out of her body in an energy wave that rippled through the surrounding area. The mephits screeched, tossed helplessly into the air. They writhed and struggled uselessly as Delia absorbed their cries of rage and used those sounds to channel more energy, keeping them held in the air.  
"Winnie, now!"  
"Right!" Winnie raked her messy hair back from her face and sucked in a breath, trying to remember the symbols that would open a portal to limbo. "I can do this!" With slow but precise movements, she carefully drew the symbol and threw it down to the ground, right below the mephits.  
Delia changed the direction of her magic, dropping the mephits into the small portal. Crossing her arms in front of her, she closed it before they could crawl out, securely trapping them in that in-between realm where they couldn't do any more damage. She dropped her arms, letting her magic fade away, settling the night into a quiet peace.  
"WHOO!" That peace was immediately broken by Winnie, who punched the air in triumph. "We did it! I did it, I opened the portal to limbo!" She declared happily, a delightfully wicked grin spreading across her face. "Take that mephits, Winnie's gonna be coming for all of you now! And no magical side-effects this time!"  
Smiling, Delia let out a breath and felt the adrenaline slowly easing out of her body, leaving her shivering a bit. "Congrats Winnie, that was really good," she said. "Let's-" Before she could finish, a burst of thunder sounded above their heads and cool rain began pouring from the clouds.  
Winnie bundled her hair into a messy bun, the black and pink streaks creating a swirl on the back of her head. "Oh. Oops." It was supposed to be a clear night, and it had been up until a few minutes ago.  
Delia wrapped her arms around herself, the cold rain soaking into exposed skin and chilling her already shivering body. "Spoke a bit too soon," she chuckled. "Come on, let's go home."  
  
The tiny apartment seemed unusually large with two of its usual inhabitants gone. Nari curled up in the living room, perched comfortably on the window seat. This was her favorite place in the apartment. From here she could overlook the city, tracing the outline of the buildings and trees against the glass with a small green finger. Her other hand ran over Laurie's golden fur as the fox lay beside her.  
"The storm appeared rather suddenly," Nari murmured as she observed the raindrops racing each other down the window.  
"Likely Winnie's doing," Archie said as he flew in, coming to perch in the window seat with them. "At least this one doesn't seem indicative of another hurricane."  
Laurie suddenly sat up, ears perked. "They're back," she said before jumping elegantly off the window seat.  
Right on cue, the door opened and both girls stepped inside, dripping wet and creating tiny rivers in their wake. Winnie shut the door and shook herself out, splattering water everywhere.  
"Man, I created one heck of a storm," she stated with a wide grin. "Having magic is amazing."  
"You certainly don't do things subtly," Laurie said.  
"There's no fun in subtlety," Winnie laughed as she wrung rivulets of water out of her hair, creating a small puddle right there in front of the door. "Well, I'm going to take a long, hot shower. Come get me if there's more butt to kick."  
Shaking her head, Delia shed her soaked jacket and shooed her friend away. "Will do. Now go, before you create a flood in the living room."  
Winnie took a quick second to stick her tongue out at her, then she strutted down the hallway towards the bathroom, passing Douxie on the way. He eyed her with a raised eyebrow, mentally debating whether or not he should ask why she looked like a drowned rat, but deciding that wasn't a good idea. She stared back at him with a raised eyebrow of her own as though daring him to ask. When he said nothing, she laughed and skipped into her room to get ready for her shower.  
  
"It's raining outside, I'm guessing?" Douxie asked as he walked into the living room.  
Delia kicked off her shoes and chuckled. "Your guess is correct."  
"You need a towel?"  
"Please."  
He left and returned a moment later with a fluffy black towel in hand, which he wrapped around her shoulders. It was only when he was close to her that he noticed how much she was shivering. She trembled like an autumn leaf in the wind and her skin was icy cold.  
"Bleeding balroths, you're absolutely freezing. What happened?"  
She shrugged. "Side-effect of my magic. Turns out when you convert sound to energy then shoot that energy out of your body, it takes heat with it."  
"Hm, why don't you go get changed?" Douxie pulled the towel up over her head and down over her eyes, laughing as she whined indignantly. "I'll make some tea."  
"Fine," she replied as she pulled the towel off her head and lightly slugged him in the arm as he grinned. "But only because you're offering. Two spoons of honey and no milk."  
The grin widened and he chuckled. "I know what to do."  
  
Five minutes later, Douxie walked into the living room carrying a tray with a teapot and two cups on it. Nari was still sitting in the window, but Archie and Laurie had both moved to the couch, lounging lazily across the back. Now dressed in comfy sweatpants and what he suspected was one of his hoodies, Delia sat curled up on the couch braiding her still wet hair.  
"I need to re-dye my hair soon. The teal is starting to fade," she absently commented to him as he set the tray down.  
"I could use a re-dye myself. Maybe we'll get Winnie and make a party of it," he said as he settled himself on the couch beside her. She scooted over to curl up into his side, prompting Douxie to wrap his arm around her waist and pull her close. The silver bracer that wrapped around his forearm came to life, a small sigil engraved on the side glowing blue. Comforting warmth wrapped itself softly around Delia's body like a blanket, seeping into her skin where cold rain had once been and slowly chasing away her rattling shivers. Immediately, Delia relaxed into him, a content sigh escaping her lips.  
_'Perks of having a boyfriend who's proficient in fire magic,'_ she thought.  
  
That was when the mental record scratch kicked in. Delia frowned slightly, rewinding her brain back to that thought which had so innocently slipped into her mind. The thought gave her pause, as she was unsure when she'd started mentally referring to Douxie as her boyfriend or if she should be alarmed at this new development.  
They'd been taking it slowly over the past couple of months, keeping things simple with casual dinner dates, the occasional walk around the city or through the nearby park, early mornings practicing magic, quiet evenings spent in the cafe after closing talking over a pot of tea, late nights cuddled on the couch reading, and just generally enjoying each other's company. It was comfortable and uncomplicated and that was how they both liked it, but no matter how low-key it was, it was definitely dating.  
And for Delia, it felt like more than just dating. Being with people was always hard when one was semi-immortal. Friends were hard to find and harder to hold on to when one was living through several centuries worth of history including betrayals, wars, social movements, and inventions of new music. Add magic and all its complications on top of that and one could surrender any dreams of relationships and romance fairly quickly.  
Delia had surrendered before she even turned a hundred. History was rife with wonderful people, many of whom she had the honor to know and have called friends. But history was equally rife with heinous people who spent their energy making other people's lives miserable. And she had the dishonor of having known many of those people as well. So it was just safer to be alone. It was easier to avoid any kind of relationship, to avoid attachments and vulnerabilities and inevitable goodbyes.  
And then came Douxie, who told terrible jokes and played beautiful music and protected his friends at risk of everything, including his own life. Douxie, who made her feel _safe_ and loved.  
So maybe they hadn't fully defined their relationship yet and maybe referring to Douxie as her boyfriend was a new development (even if she hadn't done so out loud yet), but it was a development she could certainly live quite happily with.  
  
As she was thinking, Douxie looked down at her and watched her face carefully, watching the subtle changes in her expression and wondering at the distant look in her eyes.  
"Everything alright?" He asked.  
Immediately, a small soft smile curled Delia's lips, and she nodded. "Yeah, just thinking."  
"Good thoughts?" His arm tightened around her just slightly, an attempt to reassure or comfort her.  
"Yeah," she nodded again, smile widening. "Really good thoughts." Before Douxie could try and coax her thoughts from her (which was not hard to do, when he was looking at her that particular way with those hazel eyes), Delia leaned forward to grab the remote from the coffee table. "Nothing super important though. How about we turn on a movie? You can pick."  
Douxie was still looking at her curiously, but nothing in her expression or body language suggested that she was stressed or worried about something and just hiding it, so he let the topic drop, pressing a light kiss to her temple as he took the offered remote. "Whatever you say, love."  
As he started flipping through channels, Delia settled back in her original place cuddled against him and breathed out a contented sigh. She could share her thoughts and they could define their relationship later.  
For now, this was all she needed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! :)


	8. Cool Down

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A companion piece to "Warm Up."

It was one of those nights that novelists and YA authors could have called "life-changing." The pivotal plot point of a coming-of-age movie, the climax of some teenager's young life, the type of night for love-at-first-sight moments, friendship defining moments, and memories-made-to-last-a-lifetime moments.  
The club was packed, the smell of alcohol and body odor mixing in the air as the crowd murmured and laughed, their anxious excitement thrumming with eagerness and unspoken potential. Neon lights bathed the room in blues, greens, and electric pinks, washing over the sticky walls and tiled dance floor where people were getting drunk and waiting to dance. All that was missing was some music.  
Winnie slung the strap of her electric banjo over her head and shook out her hands, bouncing on her toes as she waited in the wings of the little black stage.  
"Breathe. You're going to be amazing."  
Hearing Delia's voice made Winnie whirl around, almost whacking her friend with her banjo. "I'm so excited!" She exclaimed, jumping forward to engulf her in a hug. "And I'm so glad you're here! I wish we were playing together tonight."  
"Me too, but you're going to kill it with this solo act," Delia assured Winnie as she hugged her back tightly. When she pulled away, Winnie's eyes were sparkling with pure, unrestrained wildness.  
"My stomach is turning and churning like a washing machine on steroids but it's the best feeling ever!"  
"As long as you're having fun. Just don't throw up on your audience!"  
Before Winnie could eliminate that possibility, the club manager appeared to tell Winnie she was free to go on whenever she was ready. After flashing Delia two thumbs up, she turned and strode out into the light with all the confidence of a punk-rock queen. The partyers greeted her with quivering anticipation, and when the first notes rolled out over their heads they erupted, screams rising to meet the music, lyrics belted out from drunken mouths. Winnie met their passion with a shout of her own, launching right into her first song.

Delia stayed in the wings for the first couple of songs, feeling each chord push and warp the air around her, moving through her body from her head to her toes. Winnie moved from one song to another with the ease of a seasoned professional, music flowing without so much as a breath between songs. Brimming with pride for her friend, Delia pulled out her phone and snapped a couple of pictures before she decided she better go rejoin her boyfriend.  
She found him at the back of the club, leaning against the wall with a red plastic cup in his hand, nodding his head along to the beat. The noise was slightly calmer back here, but not by much. She leaned beside him against the wall, nudging his elbow with hers.  
"Hey stranger, come to clubs like this often?"  
He looked over at her and grinned. "Only when there are women as lovely as you are here." That earned him a laugh, though the sound was quickly swallowed by the other noise in the room. Douxie gestured to the moving crowd. "Is it just me, or is this crowd at least three times larger than it was last time we were here?"  
"It's not just you. After so many gigs, Winnie is beginning to have quite a reputation around here. And she's killing it tonight!"  
"Absolutely! I'm fairly certain you can hear it even out on the street. I saw some people walk in after she started and they looked positively dazzled."  
They stood together for a few moments, enjoying the show, until Douxie held his cup out to her, silently asking her to take it. Which she did, taking a sip as she watched him shrug off his signature black hoodie to reveal a sleeveless black t-shirt underneath, exposing the intricate tattoos that lined his upper arms and shoulders. "Too warm?" She guessed as the sharp bitterness of alcohol burned its way down her throat.  
He nodded. Being a wizard whose magic typically focused on energy manifested as fire, Douxie's body temperature naturally ran higher than most. While that was extremely useful in battle, it also meant that he was more easily susceptible to overheating. "It's warmer in here than usual, with all the extra people," he said.  
"Do you want to go outside?"  
"And miss this music?" He grinned at her, hazel eyes brightened by the flashing lights. "No way!"  
A typical Douxie answer. He said he didn't want to miss the music and that was probably true, but Delia knew he also just didn't want to miss out on supporting their friend.  
She turned her eyes back towards the front of the room where most of the club patrons had gathered. Winnie jumped around the stage with a wicked grin on her face that would have rivaled the Cheshire Cat's. Her ponytail bounced and swung wildly, her fingers a blur as she rapidly strummed out the tune. The partygoers cheered and shouted, dancing with wild yet somehow still casual abandon. Their excitement egged Winnie on. She seemed to glow with the energy of the room. On second thought, she could have actually been glowing from magic use.

Thinking of magic sparked an idea in Delia's mind. Douxie jumped slightly when cool hands wrapped around his wrists, sending a shiver up his spine and counteracting the slick heat that had settled on his person. Delia had moved in front of him, leaning back against his chest as she tugged him closer. Douxie wrapped his arms around her waist, breathing a sigh of relief as the cold seeped into his skin and slowly chased the heat away.  
"You're freezing," he murmured. "How...?"  
She said nothing and just looked up at him, grinning, and that's when he caught the faint teal glow encircling her brown eyes.  
"You've been using magic this entire time." That's why the music had sounded so rich and clear this past hour, why the crowd hadn't lost any of their enthusiasm. Delia had been absorbing the sound and converting it into energy, putting that energy back into the atmosphere. She'd subsequently been slowly losing her body heat.  
He tucked his head into the crook of her neck, holding her close and feeling his body temperature slowly come down. "Thank you, love," he said. "Now I don't have to worry about passing out from the heat and being dramatically carried out of here."  
She laughed, the sound quickly lost in the waves of music that bounced around the space. "You're welcome. Guess you're lucky to have your own personal ice pack, hm?"

"Perks of having a girlfriend who's proficient in ergokinetic magic."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! :)

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! :)


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